1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a workstation and to a method of controlling such a workstation. A workstation of this type can be used in fabricating bodywork parts for motor vehicles.
2. Brief Discussion of the Related Art
A workstation generally comprises a base having fastened thereto at least a parts-handling robot and an operational unit for performing at least one operation on the parts, such as an assembly, welding, crimping, or other operation. The handling robot is generally controlled so as to load the parts onto a support that is secured to the base and that is arranged to hold each part in a predetermined position so as to occupy a geometrical position reference for the operation that is performed by the operational unit. Once the operation has been completed, the handling robot takes hold of the part in order to place it outside the workstation.
The users of such workstations generally need to maximize their profitability, i.e. to make maximum use of the workstations and the elements making them up, and they also have flexibility requirements for workstations to be easily be adapted to different types of part, different rates of throughput, and to modifications in the manufacturing process, it nevertheless being understood that this need for flexibility must not be satisfied to the detriment of profitability. Furthermore, it is found necessary to make workstations more and more compact so as to make best use of the space available without thereby sacrificing flexibility.